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Infant Thrush - nasty stuff!

published on June 17, 2013

About the Blog

WhatToExpect.com supports Word of Mom as a place to share stories and highlight the many perspectives and experiences of pregnancy and parenting. However, the opinions expressed in this section are those of individual writers and do not reflect the views of Heidi Murkoff of the What to Expect brand.

Infant thrush shows up in a baby's mouth and looks like patches of soured milk or cottage cheese on the tounge and cheeks. Sometimes, milk residue can be mistaken for infant thrush, so try to wipe it off the tounge. If it wipes off easily, it's just milk residue. However, if it does not wipe off easily, or draws blood when you wipe it, you know you're dealing with infant thrush.

Breastfeeding mothers can also develop thrush on their nipples. This can bring sharp pains whenever breastfeeding. Don't give up! There is help and treatments available!

As a breastfeeding momma, I have dealt with infant thrush more times than I even care to count. Knock on wood, I haven't dealt with it so far with Parker, but I had it with Zander, Jace, and Lucy. Each time, not only does the baby get it, but I would get it too! It hurt so badly that the thought of quitting breastfeeding would cross my mind. But, once we get through the pain and the gross stuff, I'm always glad that I didn't stop nursing.

I had one doctor recommend gentian violet for infant thrush. The stuff is awful. It turns everything purple. You're supposed to smear it inside the baby's mouth, and on your nipples. I ruined my favorite nursing bra because of gentian violet.

Uugh. It took days to wear off, and we ruined so many outfits. We've always used gentian violet because it's the cheapest way to go, and you don't need a prescription. My kids got infant thrush so much that I got sick of calling the doctor for a prescription all the time.

There are other ways to combat infant thrush, and we've probably tried them all. :) The doctor can prescribe Nystatin - really easy to use - just squirt the prescribed amount into each side of the baby's mouth 4 times a day, for 7 - 10 days. The only bummer about Nystatin is that you have to use it so many times a day and for more than a week! It does work, though, and it doesn't make a mess like the gentian violet.

Diflucan is another option for treating infant thrush, however, we only ever used it once and it was as a last resort because the nystatin and the gentian violet weren't working.

If the baby is older, you can add in plain yogurt to their diet. (Only do this if they're on baby food, and if you get the doctor's ok!) You can also smear the yogurt on your nipples if you have thrush. It sounds funny, but it works! There are active cultures in yogurt that fight off the yeast in infant thrush. Just make sure the yogurt that you buy (for you or the baby) has the live active cultures in it and isn't sweetend. (Sugar makes yeast thrive!)

It's also best to boil every single pacifier, nipple, and chew toy (if you can!) once thrush is found. Even better is to boil it initially, then boil things after they've been used again. It's a lot of work, but it's the best way to keep the yeast from staying in baby's mouth.

If your baby gets thrush often, make sure he isn't overusing a pacifier or bottle. This can cause the inside of the mouth to crack, and yeast can harbor in there. Also, if you're a breastfeeding mother, a change in diet can also help. Avoid sugary foods until the infection clears up. If you've done all this, and the thrush continues to come back, talk to your doctor. They will have more solutions and may do blood tests to make sure there isn't something more serious going on.